Dyal Singh College to light up homes with solar power

Delhi University’s Dyal Singh College’s latest initiative could come as a relief to many homes in South Delhi which suffer from power shortage. The college has installed solar panels which will not only fulfill the electricity requirement of the college but will also supply power to the vicinity. Situated in south Delhi, the college has become the first to install high intensity solar panels. This project is being executed in two phases of 100KW (kilo watt) each. The first phase was completed at a cost of Rs 62 lakh and an inspection was held on April 16. The project was granted a 15 per cent subsidy. “We have decided that the excessive power produced will be shared with the community. These solar panels will reduce the electricity bill by almost 30 per cent. People have always been complaining about the shortage of electricity during summers. Our move might also help the others,” said IS Bakshi, principal of Dyal Singh College. Bakhsi said the Ministry of New and Renewable Resources (MNRE) and Solar Energy Corporation of India were instrumental in helping with the installation of solar panels in the college. “This is our way to save the environment. The entire college will be using the energy generated by the solar panels installed on the roof,” he added. The second phase of the 200KW solar project would materialise in future with which the college would become selfsufficient to fully power up the college without any help from BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL), one of the electricity suppliers in the Capital. The college administration hopes that with the use of solar panels, electricity bills will go down. The plant is being used according to ‘Net Metering System’ through which the energy generated by this plant is first used by the college and the surplus is sold to the BSES Rajdhani Power Limited. Since the college is not open throughout the year and electricity consumption is less on some days, the power generated on such days will be sold to BSES Rajdhani Power Limited. Therefore, it is estimated that within three years, the cost of installing would be reimbursed by the college. The college is also building an effluent treatment plant, which will treat the chemical waste generated from chemistry labs. The fluid so far is generally mixed in water. The system will set up from the current academic session. “Our college will become the first such college in the university to adopt eco-friendly ideas. Most of the fluids from the chemistry lab are drained in the water which is not a healthy practice. This is being done in every college of the university. From the upcoming session, we will have our own lab effluent treatment plant,” said AK Baghi, one of the professors from the college.